Method of and apparatus for drawing glass.



A R. L. FRINK. A METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GLASS.

APPLIOAT'ION FILED MAR. 24,;909- 1,119,007. Y Patented Dec. 1,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. L. ERINK. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS-FOR DRAWING GLASS. APPLIOATION FILED .MAR. 24, 1909.

' Patented D60. 1, 1914,

2 SHEETSfSHEET 2.

7/7 Z6J-Ses: zaeizz arx GZMXM UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

nonnnr FRINK, or c EvELA'nn, o'ruo.

METHOD or AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING GLASS,

To' aZZ whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, ROBERT L. FRINK, a cit zen of the United States, and a resident of. Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, v and State of Ohio, have invented a new and use,

ful Improvement in Methods of and Apparatus for Drawing Glass, of which the followin is a specification, the principle of the inve i0 being herein explained and the best H168 iii which I have contemplated ap plying that? principle, so as to distinguish it from otherinv'en'tions.

In my Patent No. 846,102, granted March 5, .1907 I set forth a method of continually drawing glass cylinders or similar hollow glass articles, which consists,briefly stated,

in;introducing a pressure fluid such as air into'a confined space w1th1n the article, and causing the article itself, under the action of the fiui d, to regulate the escapeof the fluid from such space. In the illustrative structure there shown the confined space in ques-' tionis formed by meansof a drawing-head that rises some distance above the level of the metal in the drawing pot or receptacle,

and is of a size substantially to close the hollow article, the air being introduced into the portion of'the latter between such head and the level of the metal. I

The present invention has as its object, the provision of a diverse form of apparatus for attaining a result analogous to that obtained by the mechanism just described, namely that of regulating the pressure of I air, or other fluid utilized'to determine the form of the article being drawn, by the action of such air or fluid on the walls of the article. Along with this result, other advan tages ofpractical significance are obtained by such invention, which to this end consists of the means and steps hereinafter -fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. 1

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means and modes-for carrying out the invention, suchdisclosed means and modes'constituting, however, but several of chanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used. I

In said annexed drawings :'F igure 1 isa partial side elevation and partial section of a discontinuous cylinder drawing plant,

.be further noted in this connection.

1 cation, filed Nov.

464,654: and are here typical of any suitable the various mewherein have been incorporated the several;

improvements constituting the present invention'; and Fig. 2 represents in a similar fashlon a modlfication of such invention applied to a continuous cylinder drawing plant.

The structure illustrated in Fig. 1 will be I noted first, and at greater length than will modified type molten glass is designed to be supplied from an adjacent glass melting furnace by means of a ladle or the like (notshown). The par- Patented Dec. 1, 1914:. Application filed March 24, 1909. Serial No. 485,403.

ticular manner, however, in which the metal is thus supplied to the pot, as also the details of construction ofthe latter, form no part of the present invention and, hence, need not The drawing means proper that coiiperate with the metal in the pot to draw a cylinder therefrom, comprise in the case of such in termittent drawing mechanism. a closed bait C that may be raised and lowered with respect to said pot by means of suitable operating mechanism C. Such bait cap is connected by means of a hose 0 or other flexible connection with air supply means, comprising a blower D and a supply pipe (i leading therefrom, suitable". al\-'es d 01 and grcateuol" ess degree. to maintain a constant pressure'wltlun the ris ng cylinder. Such manometric means. it should be explained are set up and claimed in a separate appli- 27, 1908, Serial No.

pressure regulating, means, mechanical, manual, or otherwise. h'lounted upon the \valls'that inc-use and support the drawing receptacle or pot, l3, is an extension B preferablycylindrical in form that rises to a height equal to or slightly above the normal "-'point onset of the glass in the cylinder, [when 'exposedto the norl naleifccts of radiation in the open air.

Such

cylindrical extenslon 1s symmetrically disposed with re-' spect to the axis of the rising cylinder, and

is preferably built hollow, so as to include.

suitable insulating material I) that will render radiation from the cylinder equable and uniform in all directions. The inclosing chamber thus provided is capped with-an annular cover 5, of relatively unyielding 'material that may beconstructed in sections if desired, the aperture b therein being designed to define the size of the cylinder. Connected with said chamber in the fashion shown, is an air supply pipe E that may be conveniently connected with the same blower D as is the supply pipe D through which air is furnished to the interior of the cylinder. A suitable valve e in such supply ipe determines the amount of air that wille supplied to, and hence in a general .way' the pressure that will be maintained in, the

chamber in question. The operation of described, which will exemplify in general the method involved, maintenance, in the annular chamber sur- 5 rounding the lower cylinder portion, and in the cylinder itself, of pressures that will be graduated to maintain, the cylinder, of substantially the desired diameter. In practice the pressure within the cylinder will 0 conveniently be held constant by means of the apparatus shown, and then the pressure in the chamber surrounding the cylinder will be automatically regulated by the effect of any, changes in such pressure upon the plastic cylinder walls. In other words, if

such pressure should increase unduly, having regard to the pressure within the cylinder, the excess is automatically dissipated by a slight contraction of the cylinder where it passes through the apertured cap, permitting the escape of air from such chamber. This is possible because the glass composing the cylinder wallsdoes not reach its 'point'of set until after it emerges from the chamber. On the contrary, should the pressure within the cylinder increase unduly this aperture will be substantially closed,

permitting the pressure exteriorly of the cylinder to accumulate, and thus restore the A; normal condition. The entire operation of the apparatus, so far as the maintenance of the required pressure within and without the cylinder is concerned, will hence be seen to be entirely automatic. It will further be observed, that whereas under the pressure conditions obtaining, wherethe cylinder isin accordance with. prevailing; methods, the regulation of the pressures is drawn a very delicate matter, owing .to the fact that one of such pressures is atmospheric and that .the other differs therefrom very slightly, by my present method and apparatus, I am enabled to employ considerably increased pressures, both within andwithout the cylinder, so that the regulation of the apparatus thus far contemplates thevindicated, a form of continuous drawing mechanism in place of the discontinuous or 1 intermittent mechanism just described. The construction and arrangement of the drawing pot B differs from that described before only .in theprovision of means,'as a duct A, whereby the molten glass may be supplied continuously to such pot during the drawing operation, and of other means as a transverse partition 6 that has an aperture .6 so disposed as to properly divert heated metal with respect tothebase of the cylinder being drawn, all as fully set forth and claimed in'my co-pending application filed June 22, 1908, Serial No. 437,967. In

place, then, of-the closed ba'it C capping the" upper end of the cylinder, the latter is open,

and the drawing is accomplished by means of a set of rolls C? shown as being four in number inthe case in hand, and located directly above such drawing pot. The cylini der or. roller -be'ing drawnis pressed be- 'tween these rolls, and continuously drawn upwardly by them, once it has been started.

For securing and maintaining the desired lnterlor pressure, I employ a nozzle C re- -movably supported upon the upper, open end of the cylinder-and adapted to direct a jet of air downwardly onto or-into such 1 open end, as occasion may demand. For the.

lower portion of the cylinder thus being drawn, I- employ an inclosure 13*, that differs in construction from the one previously-described only in being longer and heavier, so that the setting of the glass in the cylinder does not occur as rapidly as in'thecaseof the other form of apparatus. In other words, this setting is appreciably retarded by eliminating in large part the-cooling effect of free radiation from such lower. cylinderp'ortion. As a result, a much supe-' rior product is produced, since the'moIecules are given'a' correspondingly increased length of time in which to re-arrange them selyes, and the strains that are caused in the 4 glass by the sudden inhibition of such re-' arrangement, where the glass is too'quickly' cooled, are avoided. In connection with in closure B I employ a cap or cover b having an apertureb, that cooperates with the still plastic cylinder wall in all respects-the same as inithefirst described form o'f'my inve'ntion, variations in'the relation of the pensated in much the same fashionas before by the latter pressinglin the walls of 'the cylinder about the edge of the apex ture 22.

'Other modes of applying the principle of internal to the external pressure, being comf Law . der from a bath of articles, which consists der from a bath of molten glass, supplying regards-the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any one of the following claims or their equivalents be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention 1. The method of producing hollow glass articles, which consists in drawing a cylinmolten glass, maintaining an approximately uniform-pressure on the inside of the cylinder, and regulating the pressure on the outside of the cylinder to properly distend the plastic portion thereof, such regulation being secured by the effect of variations insuch the walls of such plastic cylinder portion, substantially as described.

2. The method of producing hollow glass articles, which consists in drawing a cylinder froma bath of molten glass, and regulating the-pressure Within a partially-confined space surrounding the plastic portion of said cylinderto properly distend. such portion, such regulation being secured by the eflect of variations in-such pressure upon the walls of such plastic cylinder portion, substantially as described.

' 3; The method of producing hollow glass articles, which consists in drawing a cylinder from a bath of ing an approximately uniform pressure,

greater than atmospheric, on the inside of the, cylinder, introducing air or other gaseous fluid into a surrounding the plastic portion of said cylinder, and controlling the escape of the fluid from such space walls of the cylinder, scribed.

4. The method of producing hollow glass articles, which consists in drawing a cylinderfrom-a bath of molten glass, supplying air .or other gaseous fluid to the interior of the cylinder, regulating such supply by the pressure thus produced within the cylinder, simultaneously introducing like fluid into a partially-confined space surrounding the plastic portion of the cylinder, and controlling the escape of the fluid fromsuch space by its action on the walls of the cyl1nder, substantially as described.

' 5. The method of producing hollow glass in drawing a cylinsubstantially as deair to the'interior of the cylinder, and maintaining a pressure other than atmospheric within the cylinder throughout the length of the latter, and without the cylinder at and adjacent its lower end.

6. Themethod of producing hollow glass articles, which consists in drawing a cylin-, supplyingv molten glass, the cylinder,

der from a bath of air to the interior of taining a within the cylinder throughout its length,

and mainpressure upon molten glass, maintain-r partially-confined space by its action on the drawing pot or cover through pressure greater than atmospheric sulating the lower plastic portionof the Y article to a point above that at which the glassnormally sets when exposed to atmospheric pressure, and regulating the pressure within and without at the lower end of the article to properly distend the plastic portion thereof.

In apparatus for drawing glass, a drawing pot or .receptacle, mechanism for drawing an article-from the molten glass Withinsaid pot, a heat insulating chamber surrounding the lower plastic portion of the article to a point above that at which the glass normally sets, whereby the setting of the glass is retarded, and means for supplying pressure fluid to the interior of the article and to said heat insulating chamber.

9. In apparatus for drawing glass, a' drawing pot or receptacle; mechanism cooperative with said receptacle to draw a cylinder from molten glass therein; a chamber inclosing the lower portion of such cylinder, said chamber having an apertured cover through which such-cylinder passes, and said cover being located in such proximity to the bath that the glass will still be plastic when it passes therethrough; and means for supplying pressure-fluid to the interior of such cylinder and to said chamber, respectively.

0. In apparatus for drawing glass, a

receptacle; mechanism cooperative with said receptacle to draw a cylinder from molten glass therein a chamber inclosing the lower portion of such cylinder, said chamber having an apertured which such cylinder passes, and said cover being located in such proximity to the bath that the glass will still be plastic when it passes therethrough; means for supplying pressure-fluid to the interior of such cylinder and to said chamber, respectively; and means controlling said first-named supply-means to maintain a substantially uniform pressure in such cylinder interior.

11. In apparatus for drawing glass, a drawing pot or receptacle; mechanism cooperative with said receptacle to draw a cylinder from molten glass therein; a chamberv inclosing the lower portion oi: such cylinder, said chamber having an apertured cover through which such cylinder passes, and said cover being located in such proximity to the bath that the glass will still cylinder interior, adapted to controlsaid first-named supply-means.

12. In apparatus for drawing glass, a drawing pot orreceptacle; mechanism cooperative with said receptacle to draw a cylinder-from molten glass therein; a heat insulating chamber inclosing the lower portion of such cylinder to a point above that at which the glass normally sets, whereby such setting is correspondingly retarded; an apertured cover for said chamber, such cylinder passing through the aperture in said cover and the latter being so located that the glass will still be plastic when. it passes therethrough; and fluid-pressure regulating means connected with said chamber and also with said cylinder.

Signed by me this'Gth day of March, 1909.

i ROBERT L. FRIN K. Attested by ANNA L. GILL, JNO. F. OBERLIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

